As individuals and businesses increasingly rely on computer systems for managing information and data, such systems face an ever-increasing risk of intrusion and infection that can be perpetrated by various forms of malware. Malware typically includes viruses, exploits, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, and other forms of malicious software intended to comprise or gain access to a particular computer system. For example, a transmitted image or other file can contain embedded malware, which can later infect a system through the system's security holes. As a result, it is absolutely critical to maintain defenses against malware, particularly in systems with access to highly sensitive data. In order to prevent and identify intrusions by malware, computer systems often utilize antivirus software, firewalls, and other security measures. Existing security measures are often effective at providing some level of protection for systems, however, such measures often have to be updated frequently, expire, are susceptible to attacks themselves, cannot filter incoming data in stream, or cannot be customized to adapt to systems with varying security capabilities. This invariably leads to gaps in security and to levels of protection that are not high enough to satisfy security needs.
As a result, there is a need for more effective and efficient means for regulating the entry of data into computer systems to ensure a greater level of protection against unauthorized intrusions. Furthermore, there is a need for effective and efficient systems and methods for providing a perimeter system with parameters for filtering data from incoming data streams prior to transmittal to a protected system.